NEXTGEN MINISTRY

UPCOMING EVENTS

PARENTING RESOURCES

MINISTRIES

Welcome to NextGen Ministries! We are dedicated to cheering you on and giving you tools for use to use your incredible influence in your own family for the spiritual development of your child.

Our Mission

Our mission is to lead kids and youth to a transformed life that is For God and For Neighbor (Matthew 22:38-39) because of the gospel. We do that by partnering family and church to create opportunities for the next generation to grow as followers of Jesus. Your kids will love the connections they experience in our programs. Each area is designed to give your child a safe and secure place, where engaging and relevant experiences point them to their next step of faith.

What is NextGen Ministry?

In short, NextGen Ministry is an alignment between Kids and Youth Ministry. We collaborate to share a common plan and vision for what children, youth and their families will experience growing up at Sugar Grove. The 936 weeks it takes to launch a young adult are one big storyline. It’s your child’s story. Your child is constantly growing, changing and encountering important milestones. We would be so honored to walk with you along the way!

NURSERY

Milestones

Connect

Ministries

AGES 0-2

Watching a child grow the first two years is incredible. In two years, your baby goes from a newborn who needs you for everything to a toddler who insists, "I can do it myself." It's a season where meeting baby's physical needs is a full time responsibility (and then some!). You embrace their needs In this phase laying a foundation of love and trust that can teach them about the character of God.

PRESCHOOL

Preschool Events

Milestones

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Ministries

AGeS 3 - 5

Preschoolers are all about imagination. They crave safety and thrive with repetition. That's why you're reading the same bedtime story every night! Kids this age are in wonder of the world and they're taking it all in through their senses. This is the phase when embracing their physical needs helps lay a foundation for them to know God's love and His family.

EARLY ELEMENTARY

Early Elementary Events

Milestones

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Ministries

grades k-3

Kindergarten through third graders are in a phase where they are wondering, "Do I have your attention?" and "Do I have what it takes?" It's a world where they're stretching their abilities, concerned with fairness and motivated by fun! They're concrete thinkers, so they're learning about the world through their senses. That's why we play games and engage them with hands on activities to show them that they can trust God's character and experience His family.

UPPER ELEMENTARY

LiveWires Events

Milestones

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Ministries

grades 4-5

Fourth and fifth graders are fun-loving and full of energy. That's why We call them LiveWires! Tweens are asking, "Do I have friends?" The LiveWires ministry helps them develop solid friendships, while having a lot of fun and giving them a bit of a challenge along the way. We partner with you in this phase to engage their interests so they can better trust God's character and experience His family.

Live Wires enjoy a variety of activities similar to Sugar Grove Youth (service projects, neighborhood group, camp, and more), while maintaining the boundaries of Children's Ministry appropriate for tweens. Come discover the fun we're having as we learn to be For God and For Neighbor because of the good news about Jesus!

middle school

Middle School Events

Milestones

Connect

Ministries

grades 6-8

Sixth through eighth graders are emerging teenagers. They travel in tribes, build social media platforms and may still bring their stuffed animal to sleepovers and camp. They're asking "Who do I like?" and "Who am I?" We partner with you in this phase to affirm their value and discover their uniqueness so they can own their own faith.

HIGH SCHOOL

High School Events

Milestones

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Ministries

grades 9-12

High school students are motivated by freedom. They're beginning to taste it as they take on first jobs, a driver's license and plans for the future. teens are firming up their personal beliefs and asking "Where do I belong?" We partner with you in this phase to mobilize their potential so they can pursue an authentic faith and discover a personal mission.

Small Groups | Birth - Grade 12

R&R and vital[s] | Birth - Grade 12

Thanks for stopping by to learn more about Sugar Grove’s NextGen Ministry. I'm Dana Williams, NextGen Minister at Sugar Grove Church of Christ.

I'm also a mom to a tween and a teen, so I know what it's like to look into your child's face and have that feeling that your heart could burst with love and melt with fear simultaneously. You never knew you could love anyone so much, yet you feel overwhelmed by the task of parenting because it's not easy to raise kids in this world. Unfortunately, no one hands you a manual on how to raise great adults when they hand you your baby. If you're like me, on any given day you go between rocking super hero parent status and wondering if you're bombing this parenting gig. You want to be a better parent and to lead your kids well. I get it! I do, too!

Sugar Grove NextGen Ministries knows those hopes and fears are answered when a life is focused on the gospel - the good news about Jesus. He is God's great rescue plan for our failures and those of our kids. Our mission is to lead kids and students to a transformed life that is For God and For Neighbor because of the gospel. We do that by partnering family and church to create opportunities for the next generation to grow as followers of Jesus. Your kids will love our early childhood, elementary and youth programs. Each area is designed to give your child a safe and secure place where engaging and relevant experiences point kids to their next step of faith.

Can't wait to see you!

DANA WILLIAMS, NextGen Minister

safety & security

Your family's safety and security is of critical importance at Sugar Grove. We do everything in our power to create an environment that is physically, emotionally and spiritually safe. That's why we background check and train every volunteer that works on our NextGen Team. You'll see us wearing lanyards that designate NextGen volunteers and leaders.

To ensure that every child goes home safely, we employ a check-in/check-out procedure through fifth grade. You may check in your child at any available station where you and your child will be given matching identification tags that are exclusive to your family and your visit. Your child will need to wear the name tag portion while you keep the matching tag. At the conclusion of service or event, you (or someone you designate over age 13 ) must present your tag in order for your child to be released back to you.

Questions?

If you still have questions - about anything - we would love to answer them. Click below to send Dana an email and get your question answered.